Pay You? Seriously?

Seriously? A study was recently conducted about paying overweight and obese individuals money to entice and reward them for losing weight. Seriously?

Healthcare is already a problem in this country. And it isn’t just one aspect of it, it is embedded in all areas. It costs too much, there isn’t enough of it and too many are uninsured. The lists goes on and on.

But this dimension, we as individuals can personally improve. Depending on what study you read, anywhere between 1 in 3 and 3 in 5 Americans tip the scale as overweight or obese. Breakdown: Obese means 30 or more pounds above a healthy weight and overweight spans 1-29 pounds above a similar healthy weight. Granted, most body mass index calculators do not account for muscle mass (muscle weighs more than fat), but let’s not kid ourselves. All the obese and overweight folks in this country are not athletes masquerading as Dell customer service reps or doing your taxes. No, they are fast food addicted, lazy, healthy eating disregarding individuals who want to get paid to lose weight. Seriously?

Yes, obese/overweight individuals cost businesses, and in turn myself, money in the long run. The health risks are higher, including heart dieases and high blood pressure, which mean more trips to the doctor and/or hospital. It means more medication. More time at work missed, which someone has to make up for in their absence. It is the reason smokers pay more health and life insurance. You don’t see people paying them to quit smoking. Just the opposite, they keep raising the price of cigarettes and tobacco products to reduce the demand. Doesn’t seem to be working, but it’s an attempt.

Why don’t we charge more for obese/overweight individuals? Or at least make them assume more of the financial burden. More out of their check every 2 weeks? A higher co-pay? A higher deductible? Something that might make them take some accountability for the position they have gotten themselves into. I know positive reinforcement is said to work better at motivating people to action, but what could be more positive than an increased life expectancy and better health? The ability to walk a flight of stairs and not risk a trip to the emergency room. How about accepting some personal responsibility and stop draining the pockets of others? Seriously.